our new year!

this year my family got another chance to explore the amazing continental island of australia. it wasn't your typical hotel and kangaroo expedition. we stayed in holiday/caravan parks and ventured out on our own almost every one of our eleven days of vacation. we flew on hawaiian air from honolulu to sydney on new years eve. we arrived just in time to enjoy the bridge fireworks from quay circle.



last year, we explored NSW including sydney, royal national park, blue mountains, and northern beaches. this year we hopped on another plane up to QLD. we flew to the gold coast for a couple days then we were on yet another plane to cairns. we drove up to port douglas a few too many times and then south to a park and a handful of waterfalls and gorges. we also visited the tourist trap in the mountains, kuranda. the rainforest is amazing up there, but it was a bit strange seeing a huge souvenir market in the middle of nowhere.





our favorite and most expensive adventure was our day trip out to the great barrier reef on an educational eco-tour.



xoxo, marina